


Comfort

by FassyAnon, MistressofMischief



Category: Irish Actor RPF, Michael Fassbender - Fandom
Genre: (but this one is), (stepmothers really aren't evil), F/M, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Minor Character Death, evil stepmother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 06:25:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3477803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FassyAnon/pseuds/FassyAnon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressofMischief/pseuds/MistressofMischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tabitha Malone is used to dealing with everything in her life by herself. How will she handle it when Michael shows up, out of the blue, to offer assistance?</p><p>The POV in this story shifts back and forth between Tabitha and Michael. It does this at the chapter level.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tabitha's POV

I flopped onto my bed. All I wanted to do was sleep. I hadn't been able to sleep in days. I had too much on my mind. As much as I think about it during the day, I can't shut it out long enough to relax and fall asleep at night.

I closed my eyes, attempting to drift off. It had to have been at least a half hour later, just when I thought that sleep might finally come, a knock sounded at my door. I did my best, I really did. I tried to ignore it but the sounds kept invading my peace and quiet.

"Dammit!" I growled to myself as I got out of bed. I had no choice but to answer it.

"I'm coming!" I hoped that my shouting would let whoever it was know just how displeased I was

On the way to the door, I put a sweater on. I reached the door and composed myself for a moment. I really didn’t feel like answering.

"Who is it?" I peered through the safety viewer as I flicked on the light.

Michael stood there, leaning against the door. He knew I was on the other side, looking, and stared me down. This was really not a good time for one of his unscheduled, random visits. I enjoyed spending time with him. Hell, we always had a blast, but I wasn’t exactly up for fun. I wanted to be back, cocooned in my bed.

I opened the door, prepared to deflect him away.

"Listen Michael, I'm not really-"

Before I could finish, he'd stormed through the door and was hugging me.

"-in the mood for a hug," I finished slowly, my arms frozen in mid-hug. We both knew that wasn’t what I’d intended to say, but he cut me off before I could correct it.

"Shh-shshsh," he murmured as he held me. His hands rubbed up and dragged down my back. His unexpected affection caused me to relax slightly and hug him in return. When his arms wrapped around me, it was all I could focus on.

His strong arms supported me, held me up. His voice was soothing as his heat seeped into me. I sighed as I held him just a little closer. I was savoring the moment.

Who knows how long we stood there, it felt like an hour. It was just… so nice for someone to take the burden from my shoulders, even for a minute. It was enough for now, enough to let sleep beckon me back to bed. After another minute, I yawned.

“Let’s get you to bed, love.” Michael pulled away but wouldn’t let go of me. He closed my front door. When he turned back, he bent down and picked me up. He held me to him, cradling me. I didn’t normally go for this kind of stuff, I’d protested something fierce the first time he’d tried, but being taken care of felt so good. I acquiesced, for now.

And hey, if I was going to let him carry me, I was going to go all out. I wrapped my arms around his neck and embraced him as he walked me back to my room. Through heavy lids, I glanced up at him.

"What are you doing here?" I yawned through my question.

"I talked with Kara. She told me what's been going on while I was away." His voice was stern, like he was mad. What did he have to be mad about? "Why didn't you tell me? Hm?" He stopped in front of the doorway to my room. "I would've come with you, been there with you. I would’ve supported you if you’d just asked." He was upset, but the concern in his eyes, I really wasn’t expecting that from him.

Was he really reprimanding me? Just like that, I was no longer calm. I tried to escape his arms. I tumbled to the ground at the same time as he tried to set me down. Walking into the room, approaching my bed, I scrunched my hair up frustration.

“I just… it wasn’t something I could talk about over the phone. You were off filming in… well, whatever fantasyland you were in. I didn’t want to be a bother.”

He spun me around, held my shoulders, and looked me square in the eye.

“You are not a bother!” He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again.”

His stare was so intense. I tried to look away, to deny his words, but before I could say anything, he pulled me close and spoke again.

“Now, it’s time for you to sleep, love.” He kissed my forehead. “And tomorrow, you’ll tell me everything.” His piercing gaze burned into me again until I acknowledged what he’d said with a single nod.

He turned me around and marched me to bed where he tucked me in. When he made to leave, my small voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Please? Stay with me?”

Michael removed his shoes and then the extra pillows I kept on the bed. I liked to feel like I was in a cocoon. He climbed in. We regarded each other for a second before I burrowed into his broad, strong chest. His warmth permeated me, as it did when he came in. I felt his breath in my hair as his head rested against mine. The last thing I felt were his arms around me his hands on my back, holding me together. That was when it was safe for me to let sleep take me for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tabitha's POV

The next morning I awoke to the smell of coffee. _Michael made me coffee?_ Michael made me coffee, something he’d never done before. I stretched and pretended like I’d get out of the bed, but I really didn’t want to. It was too warm and cozy right where I was.

I heard him rummaging around in the kitchen and wondered what he was doing, and that’s when it hit me: he was making eggs of some sort. I heard a whisk so I suspected scrambled or an omelet. This was a first, him cooking for me. It took about 15 minutes, but he walked in with a tray of eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee.

“How’d you sleep, love?” He set the tray down on the floor next to the bed and crawled back in. It only took overnight, but I’d become accustomed to feeling him next to me and snuggled back in. He was so nice and warm and cozy. I was quiet when I answered.

“I’m surprised I slept as well as I did.”

“Yeah, you were pretty out of it. Are you hungry?”

“That depends. Did you do the cooking?” I had to rib him a bit. If I didn’t, he’d expect I was a pod person.

Putting his finger under my chin and tilting my head up, I thought he was going to return the hard time, but instead he gave me a slow, soft kiss.

So unexpected. So nice. I melted, but only a little.

“It’s an omelet, I know you like omelets.”

“I was just-”

“I know what you were ‘just’, and you don’t need to do that.” What? What did he know?

“What are you talking about?”

I could tell he was frustrated. With me.

But instead of saying anything, he kissed me again. He was so gentle. And it was comforting.

“You don’t need to protect yourself from me. I won’t hurt you.”

That came out of nowhere. I wasn’t prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for what he said, or what he meant by what he said. I pulled away and sat up. He followed suit and immediately started talking.

‘“I am not going to hurt you. You don’t have to put up a wall to protect yourself from me.” He was trying, I’ll give him that.

“But I can-” He was quick to interrupt.

“Love, I know you’re a strong woman who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. You know what? I’m a strong man and I can take care of myself. It’s nice, though, to be able to lean on someone, to have them help shoulder the burden when times are tough.” He gently caressed the hair from my forehead. He wasn’t letting me hide. “Let me do that for you. Let me be the shoulder you lean on now. Will you let me?”

This sure came out of nowhere. I was surprised. It had only ever just been fun between us. It was all I’d ever expected. It was all I’d ever wanted. I had my reasons. But I was apprehensive. He could tell. And he needed to know why.

“Look, I think you need to understand why I don’t rely on others. Once you know, understand I mean, I’ll need you to ask again, because I know you won’t want to. For now, I’m going to forget you asked.” I saw he was going to say something, and I needed to get my stuff out. “Hold on, okay? Please, let me tell you, let me clue you in. Then you can ask again, if you still want to. But first, I need some coffee.”

He handed the mug over and I saw that it had the right amount of milk. And I tasted it and it was perfectly sweetened. Huh, he knew how I took my coffee. That was a surprise. Without moving my head I glanced up at him. He silently inquired if he got it right and I gave him a nod of approval. His look of satisfaction was unmistakable.

“You. Tabitha, you matter. Don’t forget that.” He was so quiet. And so earnest. That’s when I broke.

I think it was someone finally telling me what I’d wanted to hear from my parents for so long. I’m pretty sure that I freaked Michael out briefly, for all of a nanosecond. Or maybe startled is a better word. He didn’t move right away, but when he did, he took over. He took the coffee mug away and set it on the bedside table. He gently urged me to lay back down on the bed and when I did, for I was too much of a mess to resist anything at that point, he cuddled me.

We were like that for however long it took for me to get myself under control, which was far too long. Hell, more than a second was far too long. But my breakdown, my outpouring of grief and regret had to do with so many things, my past, all of it, as well as the crap that was going on in the present. I think I’d had all my digits, all fingers and toes, in the ever leaking dike that finally burst. Everything poured forth. I couldn’t stop it and I didn’t like that.

Michael was great during this time. He held me and let me do what I needed. It would be so lovely if I knew I could rely upon him. I couldn’t let myself think that way.

I think he was a mind reader.

“Love, I don’t need you to go into your history to know you don’t trust anyone. I don’t want you to think I’m complaining, ‘cause I’m not, but you’ve never relied on me for anything, and I want you to.”

“Why are you trying to change what we have? I thought it was working for you.” I was so confused. What did he want from me?

“It was. It still is. I like you. You’re fun to be around.” He started hesitating, taking more and more time to get his thoughts out. “I, well, I want more.”

I couldn’t hold back. “Michael, of all times, why now?”

“Tab, I know you think this is sudden, but it’s not. Don’t you remember the last time I was here?”

How could I forget it. We’d spent a long weekend together on the central coast. There was not a single moment we weren’t together. We’d had a couple of amazing meals, and we’d had lots of fun together. We hadn’t done anything like that before. Most of our time together had been a stolen couple of hours or, a day at most, here or there. It had been a real treat to see him.

“Mikey, there is no way in hell I could ever forget that weekend.” If he was going to start using my nickname, well, I was going to use the one I’d given him. He ignored the bait.

“Do you know why we spent that time together?”

Hmmm, trick question? Being set up? I didn’t know what was going on.

“Because you had the time? I don’t know, why?” I was now very curious.

“I rearranged my schedule to spend time with you.” He let that one sit with me for a few moments before he continued. “We always had a good time before. I wanted to see if I could spend a long weekend with you and not want to wring your pretty little neck.”

“So, what you’re saying is that you wanted to find out if spending any real time with me made you want to kill me. So, what was the verdict, am I done for? Have you come to finish the job?” Hey, had to try to make a bit of a joke out of what he was saying, right? It worked, he chuckled.

“Yes. I wanted to know if, after spending an extended amount of time with you, would I want to do bodily harm to you.”

“And the answer?” Man, he was drawing this out.

“Yes. I want to do something to you, but not bodily harm. What I want to do will make you scream, but in pleasure, not in pain.”

“Oh.”

“And I want to spend more time with you.”

“Oh.”

“So, please, tell me what’s going on.”

“I thought Kara filled you in.” It would make it so much easier if she had.

“No, not really. She told me something was up, that you’d needed to head home suddenly and when you got back you weren’t eating and you weren’t sleeping. She said it’s been like that for you for a couple of weeks. That’s not good, love. What’s wrong Tab? Please, tell me. I wanna help.” He’d started stroking my head. It felt so good. I wanted to open up to him, but I, the woman who wasn’t afraid of anything, was afraid of needing someone. He leaned into me when I didn’t say anything.

“Please, Tab, let me in. Lean on me, let me help you. I wanna help.”

“Can I have a few moments to myself? I need a little peace and quiet. And I need some food.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“You don’t have to, but just don’t stare at me while I eat, okay? That creeps me out.”

“Little Bit, I made an omelet for me, too. Did you think I was going to starve myself?”

Ah, there it was. He’d decided to get back at me for the use of ‘Mikey’. “You are going to make me rethink whether or not I should tell you anything. God, why did I ever tell you that story?”

“Which means, you’ve decided to tell me what’s going on. Okay. I’ll shut up now.”

Crap. I hadn’t meant to let him know. I’d wanted him to squirm some. Oh well.

Once finished with brunch (yes, I had slept that long), I got up.

“Where’re you going?” He was fast on the ball.

“I was going to go get comfy on the sofa so we could talk. Is there a problem with that?”

“Is that where you’d be most comfortable?”

“I’d be most comfortable not talking about this at all. But, since you’re forcing me, I don’t know, do you have a better suggestion?”

“How about you come back to bed. You can lay here and I can hold you and you can tell me what’s going on and what I can do to help.”

I mulled that idea over in my head and realized some of the advantages of doing it his way. Acquiescing, I got back into bed and so did Michael.

“Tab, I want you to get completely comfortable before you start. Okay?”

I did. My foot found its way between his legs. And then I started. I talked about my life growing up (he asked me if it was relevant and I let him know that it was), about the troubles I’d had, about my mother’s death, about my father’s problems, about his wife and how she’d treated me, and how, now that he was terminal, how she’d reached out to me and turned to me for support, or so she’d led me to believe. How I’d gone back, feeling obligated to do so, and how things had gotten, well, in a word: nasty. Finally, on my way out the door, my dad had inquired why I hated him. And I wasn’t proud of what I’d done: I let him have it. All while Sheila (his detestable wife) was there, trying to worm her way into the conversation. And then I’d come home, and Kara picked me up at the airport and things slid downhill for me from there.

“I shouldn’t have done it, Michael. I shouldn’t have done that to him. He’s dying and I made it worse. Sheila had been so mean and nasty to me the whole time I was there, and dad had taken her side, over and over, and I told him things I’d vowed I’d never tell him. I saw the pain I caused. Who does that to a dying man?” I took a few breaths and continued. “Now that you know, Michael, reprimand me, tell me you made a mistake, and leave. I know you never want to see me again.”

I pulled my foot back and turned over, my back to him. I curled into the fetal position, protecting my soft and vulnerable center that I’d finally shown to someone from the harsh words that he was going to hurl my way. That I deserved. I waited. And waited. And he curled up behind me, snuggling so we were flush against each other.

“You know what, it was harsh. And maybe you shouldn’t have done that, but maybe you should. I can’t judge you and no way in hell am I going to reprimand you for that, love. You were protecting yourself during one of the most stressful times anyone can ever have. It’s okay to stand up for yourself, to protect yourself.”

When he pulled me closer, that’s when the tears started to fall again. Here I was, someone who didn’t cry and this man could reduce me to leaking eyeballs with a few words.

“Tab, please promise me one thing. Would you?”

Great, conditions. Now he was going to make it impossible for me to stay around.

“What.”

“Please, don’t ever hold anything back from me. If I’m doing something or not doing something and you’re angry, tell me. Please don’t let it bottle up inside.”

“I know, it’s not healthy.”

“No. That’s not it. You’re fucking scary as hell.”

Okay, not gonna lie. That got my attention.

“You think I’m scary?”

“Um. Yeah.”

“You rethinking getting involved with me?”

“No way. This is only one part of you. When you get involved with someone, you get involved with all the parts. I like your parts.” He moved my hair. “I like this part,” his kisses landed on my shoulder.

“Is that the only part you like,” I asked. He heard me at my most vulnerable. I tried to cover it with a huff of a laugh, but he knew better.

“Oh no, but I’m not going to spend my time chronicling all the parts of yours I like, for that would take far too long. Do you want to know which part of yours I want to spend the most time with?”

“I’m afraid to ask. Which one?”

He tapped my head. Was he being serious? It took a bit of time, but I finally turned over.

“Care to repeat that?”

“You have got a gorgeous mind, Tab. You see things in ways I could only ever dream. I simply want to spend time with you and get to know you.”

“Really?”

I was relieved when he nodded.

“Now I know some of the reason why you think that way. Yes. I want to get to know you.” He planted soft kisses on my lips and cheek. “And I want to start now.”

The kissing progressed quickly. I pulled him on top of me and things started to really take off.

We were interrupted by my phone. I’d turned it on ‘do not disturb’ when I got back to town. A few numbers were on the exception list. My dad’s ring came through loud and clear. I picked up the phone to answer it and I froze. Michael grabbed it from me and asked me the question with one glance. When I nodded, he answered.

“Hello?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's POV

I was pretty sure it was her stepmother on the phone.

“Who is this?” Her voice was high-pitched, nasal, and grating as hell. She was angry and all I did was answer the phone.

“What number did you call, please.” I decided to kill her with kindness, make her feel awful for being so rude on the phone. It didn’t work.

“WHO IS THIS? WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME!” Wow. I’d wondered if Tab had been exaggerating, but that wasn’t the case. Not at all.

“Who did you call?” I wasn’t going to back down. I looked at Tab and saw both curiosity and amusement on her face. She was enjoying what I was going through far too much.

“Listen-”

“No, you listen. You have been rude since you first addressed me. You called this phone. Who were you intending to call?” I’d had enough.

“I called Tabby.”

“ _Tabitha_ cannot come to the phone right now. And given how rude you’ve been, I can understand why. I will relay a message to her, if you wish.”

“Put Tabby on the phone.”

I knew, without a doubt, that this woman was the reason that nickname was not allowed.

“I will not put _Tabitha_ on the phone, Sheila. What do you want?”

“I’ll call back later.”

“And I’ll be answering her phone later." I clearly enunciated each word. "What do you want?”

“Look, you don’t know what’s going on with her father and I’m not talking to you about a private family matter.”

“For your information, Sheila, I _do_ know what’s going on with her father, I _do_ know what she said to him, and to _you_ , the last time she was there. I know what’s going on. Tell me and I’ll relay the message.”

Silence, and more silence. Was she angry? Surprised? All I know is that when she finally responded, she was rather quiet. She also sounded like she was seething.

“Please tell Tabby that her father has been admitted to the hospital. They are running tests, but if she wants to see him before, well, before it’s too late, before he dies, so _she can apologize to him for what she put him through_ , she should get out here.”

This woman had some nerve. I knew Tab wouldn’t want to go, at least, I didn’t think she would, not if she'd have to deal with Sheila.

“I will tell Tabitha that. Is there anything else?” She was a piece of work. I knew she was using that name specifically.

“Well…” she didn’t finish her thought. Great, now I was going to have to poke and prod her to get it out of her.

“Well… what? Sheila, what else do you have for Tabitha.” I hoped she’d come clean. And she did.

“Actually, tell Tabby her father is asking for her.” I glanced at Tab. I got up and walked out of her bedroom so I could have a bit more latitude to say what I suspected I would end up saying to this witch. Now I was the one who was seething.

“Would you have told her if she’d answered the phone?”

“That is _none_ of your business.” Wow, she was getting quite defensive.

It dawned on me what was really going on. I think she would’ve used whatever response Tab would have given to justify not telling her the real reason for calling.

“Sheila, what were you planning on telling Tabitha?”

“What I would or would not have said to Tabby is-”

“That’s it, I’ve had it. First of all, her name is Tabitha. Got that? Stop calling her Tabby. Second, if, for _whatever_ reason, she _ever_ asks you _anything_ about this call, you will tell her that you were calling her to tell her that her father asked for her. You will tell her that. Do you understand me?”

“How dare yo-”

“Sheila, you do not want to get me any more angry than I already am. Is there anything else?”

“I don’t appreciate-”

“Is there anything else.” I had lost all patience with her. I knew I wasn’t doing Tab any favors, but it sure made me feel good to be this short with her.

“No.”

“Then I need to go so I can let Tab know what’s going on.”

“Wait, what do I tell her father?”

“Tell him that you let Tabitha know.”

“Is she going to come out?”

“Sheila, I don’t know. Tabitha will be the one to decide that.” I hung up without waiting for a response. It was very satisfying. I headed back in and sat next to Tab.

“What did the monster want?” It was sad to hear how hopeful she was. I supposed Sheila was the only mother figure in Tab’s life that she could truly remember, and it was a wonder she’d turned out as nice and kind as she had, given Sheila’s disposition. Was she still seeking her approval?

I grabbed her hand. I knew she’d need support. Well, I assumed she would, I know I would've, in her situation. “She called to let you know that your dad’s in the hospital, and that he asked for you.” Her eyes got big for a brief moment before she got herself under control.

“Did she say why he asked for me?” Everything in her was pleading with me.

I really wished I had the answers she was looking for.

“No, just that he asked for you.”

I’d never expected to see her like this. She was completely withdrawing into herself. I could tell she was trying to figure something out.

“What do I do?” She'd closed her eyes and was speaking so softly I almost didn't hear her. Was she simply working this out for herself, out loud? I was sure she wasn't asking me, but what if she was? I didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to scare her off before we ever really started. Then she turned to me, her eyes searching mine.

“Michael, what do I do?”

Oh god, she was actually asking me. Go with your gut, I told myself.

“Tab, what is your gut telling you? What do you want to do?”

She huffed before answering me.

“What do I want to do? I want to climb back in bed, pull the covers up over my head, and stop being an adult.” My heart broke for her. Her eyes gave away her hurt, her anguish.

I cleared all the dishes from the bed, putting them on the dresser. Confusion etched on her brow, she watched what I was doing. I pulled the sheets and blankets back and patted the bed. When she didn’t move, she just cocked her head at me, brow furrowed, I reached down, grabbed her ankles, and swung her legs up to the bed. I climbed in after her. I pulled the covers up over us and pulled her to me. We lay like that for a while, until she fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake her, so I didn’t move. Tab needed to be held, supported during this time and I was happy that she was trusting me to help her. I hoped I wouldn’t let her down. I pulled my phone out and started looking up options for flights. It was easy enough to get to Chicago, and there were many opportunities to get there at some point during the day. Right now, it was more important for Tabitha to sleep. She’d been through so much and no real sleep for two weeks had taken its toll. When I saw her last night, as she’d opened the door, I almost didn’t recognize her. The dark circles, the sallow skin: if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought her sick. I was grateful she wasn’t but she’d been carrying a burden solo that she just didn't need to.

I knew she was wrestling with whether or not to go, to visit her father. She wanted to apologize to him, to make him feel better, to clear her conscience. I was concerned that he might make her regret it, he might chastise her for what she’d done. I was worried what Sheila had up her sleeve. My Tab was having a hard time with this and I wanted to help her any way I could.

Yeah, she was already _My Tab_. I’d started thinking of her as mine after our second, what, date? encounter? I didn’t know what to call them. Most of the time my schedule was so tight that I’d cut meetings short when I was in town to touch her, taste her, hell, just to see her. Without knowing it she’d wrapped me around her little finger. I think it was because she didn’t know it, because she hadn’t been trying, had just been herself, that it’d happened so quickly.

With her, I wasn’t someone who was well known. I wasn’t someone with connections. I was just Michael with her. She treated me like a man, like any man. And it drove me crazy to think of her with anyone else. I couldn’t ask for that kind of commitment. We’d spent a matter of a handful of hours, that somehow had turned into days, in each other’s company and there was no way she would stand for that. She was too independent. Then I got the bright idea to spend a long weekend with her.

After that she was mine, she just didn’t know it yet. At least, I’d hoped she’d agree to be mine, and for me to be hers. Aw hell, I just wanted her to be in my life, somehow. I think I’d agree to just about any arrangement she wanted. Listening to the way her mind worked as we talked about so many things was, well, fascinating. She had a way of thinking of things that was unique. She saw angles and perspectives and put things together, connected the dots, in unique ways. She was brilliant and never made me feel inferior, even though I clearly was. Then again, there were only a handful of people on earth who were her equal. And she had absolutely no idea.

I felt her stir, come around and knew she was awake before her eyes opened. She hugged me closer than we already were and she asked a question.

“So, I think I need to go to Chicago. What do you think?” Her voice, still sleep-laden, stirred me. And she wanted my opinion.

“Tab, if that’s what you want, let’s go.”

It took her a second to realize what I’d said.

“Let’s?”

“You’re not going without me. I know you’re strong and can handle yourself and this is family stuff. I still want to help and I think I can do you some good, being there with you. Come on, you know you want me there. Besides, you know I need to meet Sheila.” That got her to laugh. What she didn’t know was that I wanted to protect her from that woman. I had a feeling that Sheila was up to no good. Besides, it would give me a reason to remain close to her for the foreseeable future, and that was something I wanted.

“Michael, I don’t want to mess with your schedule. You have so much going on. It really is nice that you want to help, but I don’t want you to change stuff around for me.” She sounded like she meant it, and she might have, but I wasn’t about to let her run me off. I’d meant what I said: I wanted to be there for her, to help her out.

“Tab, I have a break in my schedule. Yeah, I’d had plans with some friends, but they knew something was up when I mentioned that I needed to postpone. I can see them anytime. You're the one who needs me right now. No refusal, love, I’m coming with.” I could see she was gearing up to refuse, so I did the only thing I could to stop her.

She didn’t hesitate in returning my kiss. She was still warm and pliable from her catnap. I could seriously kiss this woman all day. I wanted to do far more, but I knew that now wasn’t the right time. She needed support and help and to feel better, not orgasms. Not that orgasms wouldn’t make her feel better, but they weren’t what she needed right now.

When we finally parted, I was happy to see that she was suitably distracted from her previous line of thought and was unable to put together a coherent sentence. Time for me to strike.

“I am coming with you. You don’t actually have a choice in the matter. Tab, I want to help. Maybe you need my help, maybe not, but I need to help you. I need to feel like I’m contributing to your life, like you contribute to mine.”

“Wait a minute, what? How do _I_ contribute to _your_ life?”

“Tab, you challenge me. You make me think about things that I’ve never needed to think about before. You have no idea the influence you’ve had on me.”

She pulled away from me and I knew I was going to get it.

“That sounds to me like you are placing way too much responsibility for your life on my shoulders. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“No.” It slipped out. It wasn’t exactly what I meant.

“No? What do you mean, _no_?”

“What I mean is you don’t get to pull away from me or try to push me away from you. You don’t get to use anything I say right now against me, to feed whatever is going on in your head. You are good for me. That’s all I meant. I know I’m good for you. That’s all I’m saying. I can help, I want to, no, that’s not right. I need to help. If nothing else, I can be a buffer between you and Sheila, or I can provide comic relief. And if you need a distraction, you know how adept I am at that, as well.”

“True, you do distract me to no end. But I-”

“Please.” I had to get her to stop fighting me. I put my fingers over her mouth. I only wanted to stop her talking, to stop her resisting. “Tabitha, why are you so dead set against me helping you?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tabitha's POV

How could I make him understand? What could I say to him that would get him to back off, to let me deal with this on my own? I’d tried with the truth of what had happened and that hadn’t scared him off. But is that what I really wanted to do? Get him to back off? He seemed so sincere in everything he was saying. And I have to say, I really enjoyed not talking to Sheila. I was desperate to believe what he was saying. I wanted to be able to rely upon someone. I wanted, well, I wanted so many things.

“Michael, it’s not you specifically. I’m just so used to handling everything on my own that I don’t know how to ask for help, or how to accept it. And this is all just so much right now. I don’t know how to deal with you wanting to help. I just-”

God, he put his fingers on my lips again, getting me to stop talking. I got sidetracked by his fingers and knowing what they could do to me. I think that was what he counted on every time he did that.

“Tab, you don’t have to figure out what I can do for you. Here’s how I can help, and you don’t even need to ask for it, I can just do it. I can hold your hand and let you know you aren’t alone.” He took my hand in his and his thumb started to slowly, gently massage the back of my hand. I closed my eyes and found that his actions were incredibly soothing. I wanted more.

“I can stand next to you and act as a physical buffer between you and whoever it is who is causing trouble for you.”

He pulled me to his side, arm encircling my shoulders. His voice dropped.

“I can keep you warm, and safe."

We lay back down on the bed.

“I can provide comfort, if you need it. I can simply be there for you.” I felt his fingers on my forehead as he moved my hair from my face before he pulled me into a full body embrace.

“I can be the one person you can turn to who will be there for you, who will put you first, Tab, no matter what else is going on.” Again with the perfect words, and my tears. Yes, this was a really hard time for me, but seriously, I didn’t need to be crying every two seconds. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it sure was what it felt like.

“Please, try this. Let me do this for you. I feel completely powerless and want to support you however I can. If I could fix this I would, but I can’t; please let me do this.”

It was hard. I both wanted to and didn’t want to. I wanted the safety I felt within the circle of his arms, and I wanted to feel it all the time.

The problem was, I didn’t deserve it.

I’d been a bad person, a bad daughter. I’d said things I’d vowed never to say. To a man who was dying. I’d been bad. Bad, bad, bad.

It had felt good at the time, but who does that? Who makes themselves feel better at someone else’s expense?

“I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.” The tears really started to fall, now.

“Baby, yes you do. You absolutely do deserve my help. And to be honest, you deserve better than me. Listen, the fact that you regret what you said lets you know you do. Would you take it back if you could? Would you make it so the words had never been said?” I nodded and felt him stroke my head. That felt so good. “No one deserves to go through this alone. And I will not let you deal with Sheila on your own. That woman is not to be trusted. So, when do you want to go?”

“Never.” I really didn’t want to go. But if my father was asking for me… “As soon as possible.”

He tilted my head back, wiped the tears from my face, and kissed me.

“You pack. Let me get working on the tickets.” He started talking to himself. “Should probably look at 3 hours out. An hour to get packed, get the rental back, get to the airport. Yep. Okay.” I loved that he thought of all those things.

“Wait, Michael, what about you? Where are you staying? Don’t you need to pack?”

He looked a bit sheepish.

“I came here straight from the airport. My bag’s in my car.”

“You got to town, and you came straight here?”

“Love, I came to town for you. You’re the reason I’m here. Come on, go pack. I’ll get the tickets.”

About 20 minutes later I was all packed and ready to go. I headed out to the living room and found him with my wallet.

“What are you doing with that?”

“I needed your full name for the ticket I was going to purchase.”

“You’re not going to make fun of my name now, are you?”

“No. It’s a perfectly lovely name. Come on, let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”

We were at the gate in record time, having returned his car and made our way through security. We sat in an out of the way corner, hoping to remain unnoticed. I hadn’t paid attention to anything other than getting through security so when they called for pre-boarding, people needing assistance, Michael got up.

“Come on, this is us.”

“But we don’t need assistance.”

“Right. This is so fewer people might recognize me. Come on, let’s go.”

He had our tickets and presented them to the gate attendant and when we got on the plane, he headed us to first class.

“Michael, where are you going?”

“Our seats are this way.”

“Why’d you book us first class?”

“Gives us a little more privacy. Come on.”

It was about as private as one could get aboard an aircraft. Bulkhead in first class: only the crew would be in front of us. We could pretty much stay to ourselves.

We got all our stuff stowed and were seated before everyone else started to file in. Michael was able to finagle a couple of drinks for us. I think he wanted me to be as relaxed as possible during the flight. He was turning out to be a very thoughtful man.

About an hour or so later, we were taking off, and a bit over 3 hours later, we were in Chicago. It was very late so I decided to head to the house rather than the hospital. I hadn’t told Michael everything and I needed to let him know what he was about to walk into.

We’d settled into the back of the hired car.

“So-”

“Michael, I-”

We both laughed and I took advantage of the situation.

“Michael, I need to give you some more information about what you are going to walk into.” I took a very deep breath before moving on. “You may not be familiar with him, since you aren’t from the States, but my father is Thaddeus Jayne Malone.”

“TJ Malone? ‘Malone’s’ Malone?”

“That’s the company everyone knows, but there’s a lot more than that one company. Look, I glossed over this earlier, but you need to know what happened. Just before I went away to college, Daddy and I got into a heated argument. It was about Sheila, like usual. She was the bane of my existence. Still is, frankly. She’d somehow convinced him that my seat on the board shouldn’t become mine on my 18th which was still two years away. I’d always planned on working there, and one day taking over. She was intent on taking that away from me. She didn’t like me from day one.”

I turned and looked out the window, seeing both familiar and unfamiliar landscape pass by the heavily tinted window. I hadn’t talked about this in years and it was dragging old wounds out to see the light of day, wounds that had, or so I thought, healed and scarred over. Michael reached over and wiped my cheek before grabbing my hand and pulling me to him. I was able to continue once I was in his arms.

“She didn’t like me from day one. Daddy and I were really close. I took Mum’s death really hard. I was 5 at the time, so of course I did. Daddy was there for me. He protected me. He protected me from bad dreams and sadness and my horrible Aunt Tricia. She meant well, but she and I just didn’t mesh. I just wanted my Daddy.”

I hadn’t thought about this in years and it was bringing back some pleasant memories that I’d kept hidden away.

“He kept me out of kindergarten, brought in tutors, and my classroom was next door to his office. So I started learning the business early. I was, well, a precocious child. When I was put in school, I was put into a private school, and I still skipped a couple of grades.” Three, to be exact.

“And then he met Sheila and my entire world turned upside-down.”

It didn’t matter that I’d not seen nor spoken to them for over 15 years. All this still hurt.

“She was jealous of the relationship we had. She was jealous that he’d take my side in any arguments that we had, even though I was right. She was jealous that I’d have a place in his company, that I’d end up working with him. We were really really close, and she was able to drive a wedge between us.” This hurt far more than I was letting on. I thought I was hiding all the hurt from Michael. But when I looked into his eyes, he let me know he understood.

“So, I walked out of the house and out of their lives. I was 16. I successfully petitioned for emancipation.”

“Emancipation?” Maybe they didn’t have that in Ireland?

“Basically, that’s when someone under 18 can legally become an adult and not require adult supervision. Daddy fought it, tooth and nail, threw his best legal minds against me. And I beat ‘em. I think he was proud of me, that I’d won. So, I took my trust fund, went to college, and never looked back.” I got lost looking at the lake. Then we turned into the driveway.

“And here we are, the home I grew up in.

“You’ve been on your own for-”

“18 years.”

When we got out of the car he pulled me into a hug. I knew I was going to need him over the next however many days we were going to be there. We made our way to the front door to both my childhood home and a complete stranger’s, well, everyone else would call it a mansion.

“Are you ready, love?”

I nodded and rang the bell. I didn’t know if any of the staff would be the same. And my Katie answered the door. She’d been hoping I’d come home to see Daddy, and she got her wish. I got bowled over by the enormous hug from this forever grandmotherly figure from my childhood. She hadn’t changed since I’d left. We had the briefest of chats and decided to leave the real catching up to the next day.

Michael and I headed made our way to the main guest suite in the north wing, as far away as possible from the master bedroom.

I changed, brushed my teeth, and was in bed in a matter of minutes. I was asleep shortly thereafter. I knew I’d need my strength to deal with everything the following day.

I woke up to my alarm and a groaning Michael. Sometime during the night we’d ended up in each other’s arms. He reached for and turned off the alarm while I rolled over to get out of bed. He quickly grabbed me and pulled me back.

“Let’s just have a few moments to ourselves before we get up. Please. I need this to get ready for my epic battle with Sheila. You know, similar to a land war in Asia.”

He knew just what I needed to hear to get me giggling, especially references to one of my favorite movies. He knew my wacky sense of humor and fed into it as often as he could. This morning was no exception.

I got ready for my meeting with my Daddy, and he got himself all riled up for ‘Michael vs. Sheila, round 2’. He even started to hum the Rocky theme song.

Daddy. He’d become my Daddy again, in my mind. I knew he didn’t have much time left on this earth and I wanted him to go out knowing he’d had a positive influence on my life and that I loved him and forgave him. I owed the man that much.

When we got downstairs, Katie ushered us into the breakfast nook so we could eat. I fell back into old patterns, asking Chef for some scrambled eggs and bacon with coffee. Michael just looked at me as Chef turned to him.

“There’s a cook here. We went through so many growing up, Sheila was never satisfied, even though they were all superb, that we couldn’t keep their names straight so we simply started calling them Chef. If it’s the same as when I was growing up, you can get just about anything for breakfast and lunch, but not for dinner. Dinner’s supposed to be a family meal, so we all dine together. Oh, that reminds me. Katie? Depending upon how today goes, we may just take dinner in the suite.”

She exited to talk to the chef about dinner and soon our food was brought in. I finished quickly, only able to eat a few bites before heading out. My stomach was in knots.

Peter, dad’s latest driver, took us to the hospital. Katie had given us Daddy’s room number so we made our way there and then I was frozen outside his room. I grabbed hold of Michael’s hand, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door to his room. I was prepared to be the good little girl I’d been raised to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's POV

My Tab seemed to shrink in a bit on herself as we walked into the hospital room. There were a number of people in the room, all talking at once. I immediately picked out Sheila, or the woman I thought was Sheila based upon her clothes. She turned when she saw movement from the doorway and then became white as a sheet. Yep, that was Sheila. She rushed over and tried to quietly usher Tab out of the room before her father could see her. Tab used me, used my strength to give her energy to deal with this devil of a woman.

“What on earth do you think you are doing, barging in here like this?” To say that she was hissing would have been putting it mildly. Spitting venom was far more accurate.

I was so proud of Tabitha.

“He is my father, and he is asking for me, or so you told Michael. Isn’t that right?” Her voice was clear and strong. I squeezed her hand to show support.

“Michael said you weren’t coming.”

“I said no such thing. I said I would tell Tab and she would make the decision. She made the decision and we’re here. She’s here to see her father.”

“Now is not a good time. She should have called and let me know she was planning on coming.”

I’d successfully distracted her and Tab was able to slip unnoticed by Sheila. I heard her dad, and he sounded exceedingly pleased to see her.

“Tabitha, sweetheart, you came back. Sheila said you’d refused. I was so upset. What changed your mind?”

“I never refused, Daddy. I couldn’t refuse you, not now, not when I need to apologize to you.”

I made my way to Tab’s side and held her hand, letting her know I was there for her.

“My sweet, beautiful, intelligent, brilliant, thoughtful girl. You have been the light of my entire life. I have never forgiven myself for allowing you to walk out of my life. If anyone needs to apologize, it’s me. I was entirely too proud, too stubborn. And I was wrong, so so wrong to let you go.”

I looked at Tab and could tell she was having a hard time processing what he’d just said.

“Tab, you okay?”

She turned to me with a pained look on her face.

“Did he just apologize to me, or am I having a stroke?”

“Sounds to me like he just apologized.”

The unexpected happened. She walked out of the room. I turned to go after her when her father stopped me.

“Let her go. She needs to come to terms with the fact I just apologized, since that’s something I don’t do. What’s your name young man?”

“Michael. Michael Fassbender, Mr. Malone.”

“Michael, I’m an old man and I’m dying. Please call me Tad.”

“Do you know, sir, I call your daughter Tab?” He chuckled.

“Don’t ‘sir’ me. Please. I don’t need you to blow smoke up my ass.” I could see why most people would have been terrified of him. I wasn’t. Then again, I probably would have been if I’d been introduced to him earlier in his life. Or if I’d known what he was going to ask me. “I’m surprised she let you call her anything other than Tabitha. She abhors Tabby, and I now understand why. Michael, I need you to answer one question for me.”

“That depends on what it is, but if I can I will.”

“Afraid of the question? Or of the answer?”

“Neither. I don’t normally answer personal questions from people I don’t know.”

“Ah, you must be a private man. Who am I going to tell, except St. Peter? Well, I think you should be able to. And I have a right to know. Don’t think, just answer. One word, yes or no: do you love my daughter?” Talk about direct. I hadn’t been prepared for that one. I answered without thinking.

“Yes.”

“Will you take care of her? Make sure she has what she needs?”

“I hope she’ll let me, yes.”

“I’m not talking money, she’s going to have more than she’ll know what to do with. Don’t tell her that. Let her find out when my will is read. Do that for me?”

“Uh, okay.”

“You’re not after her for her money, are you?”

“I” it was suddenly apparent to me he didn’t have a clue as to who I was. Or maybe he was just being a dad. It was actually nice. “Tad, I have money of my own.”

“Not like this, son.”

“I’ve seen your home, I know who you are, I understand your question. Understand my answer. I have enough.”

“Will you support her?”

“It would be an honor if she’d let me. I don’t know that she will. I’ve asked her to let me in, and she’s trying. All I can say is I really hope she’ll give us a chance. Why she’d give me a chance, though, I don’t know.”

“Why do you say that, Michael?” He had to know. He had to know who she was, what she could do, how utterly amazing she was. And the look on his face told me he did. I think he just wanted to hear it from me.

So, I told him why. I told him what I saw in her, who I knew her to be, how charming and giving and warm she was. I talked for a few minutes. He didn’t interrupt me once. He let me tell him everything he already knew about his daughter.

“Michael, I’m going to tell you something that I never thought I’d tell a man in my daughter’s life.” This had to be good. “Are you listening?”

“Yes sir, um, sorry, yes, Tad. I’m listening.”

“I’ll let that one slip. Here it is.” He certainly did have a flair for the dramatic pause. “You have my blessing.” It took me a few seconds to realize what he was saying. He saw when that realization hit. Maybe it was the look on my face. Maybe it was that I sat up just a bit taller, but he saw, nonetheless. “Yes, when you decide that you want to spend the rest of your life with her, you may do so knowing that I’ve given my blessing. Not that it would make any difference to my Tabitha. But it makes a difference to me. I just hope she knows who she has in you. Stick it out with her. Don’t let her push you away. Do what you can to stay with her, to make her see that she’s found the right man in you.”

“That’s my intention.”

“You intend to marry her?”

“Well, it’s still very early, but yeah, hopefully. There are two of us in this, though. She may have other ideas.”

“I already said it, but it’s worth repeating: don’t let her push you away. It was the biggest mistake and regret in my life that I let her push me away. I know it was completely my fault. I understand that, I understood that at the time, but I was too proud, too stubborn to tell my 16 year old daughter she was right. It’s infuriating, how right she is about everything. That’s something you need to know about her. She’s right, all the time.”

I chuckled as I’d learned that one the hard way.

“I see you already know that. Be good to her. That’s all I ask. Take care of her. She’s going to do some marvelous things. She’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

“Tad, she already is a force to be reckoned with. And I see where she gets it from.”

“She doesn’t get that from me. She gets it from her mother. My Marty was a formidable woman. Why she chose me, I’ll never know. Lord knows I didn’t deserve her.” He got a wistful look on his face, fond memories obviously recurring.

“Tad, might I suggest something? Tell your daughter what you just told me. About your regret, about how sorry you are that you let that fight come between you. How she’s a force to be reckoned with. And about her mother. She needs to hear all that from you. Clear the air before you’re gone. It’ll set her mind at ease, I think. She may have regrets of her own, about walking out, but you’re the parent. Please, take that responsibility with her. Would you do that for her?”

“Son, that’s a mighty fine suggestion. It might get me back in her mother’s good graces, too. Trust me, I know I’m going to have to account for what I did when I see her next. I do not want to do that, but it’s the price I have to pay for what I did. Please, go get Tabitha for me? I’m starting to get really tired and I’d rather do this now.”

I stood and turned before he called me back over. He offered his hand and naturally, I took it.

“Welcome to the family, Michael.”

I found Tabitha, very carefully avoiding any contact with Sheila, and let her know that Tad wanted to talk with her.

She grabbed my hand and started walking to the door but stopped when I didn’t follow her.

“It should just be the two of you. I think he needs some time with just you.” I think it was what she’d been fearing, but I reassured her before she went in.

Sheila approached the door a few minutes later. I caught her before she could go barging into the room. I was able to convince her that Tabitha needed some time alone with her father. Sheila was all set to go in half-cocked and ready for war, and then I reminded her that Tad had asked for Tabitha. That cooled her heels a bit.

About half an hour after she went in, Tab came out. She’d clearly been crying and quickly came to me, clinging as if her life depended on it.

“I’m okay, I’m okay. It was good, I’m just overwhelmed. Take a walk with me?”

We headed down to a garden and Tab was quiet for a few minutes.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Tabitha. I’m glad I’m here for you.”

She looked up at me and I could see that she was talking about something else.

“No. Thank you. Daddy told me what you said to him. You really are looking out for me, aren’t you?”

“I told you I would. I told you I’d be here for you.” A few tears started to fall when I answered and I knew she hated that.

What she needed was comfort and to know she wasn’t alone. We hugged for a bit as her tears fell. When she was done, we headed back up to her father’s room. She wanted to talk to the doctors.

We stayed that afternoon. By the time we got back to his room, he’d fallen asleep which was probably the best thing for him. He woke up a couple of times and complained of pain each time. They kept increasing his comfort meds. The doctor had explained that comfort meds were typically only used at the very end, and with the deterioration they’d seen, he didn’t have long. Maybe only a few hours.

It became very clear that he’d rallied for Tabitha, that he’d been waiting for her.

My Tab put on a brave face, but I knew she was in pain herself. She sat by his bed and talked to him and held his hand the whole time. She didn’t know if he could hear her or not, but she opted to believe he could. She filled him in on her life, what she’d been doing, decisions she’d made, vacations she’d taken. She had tears streaming down her face most of the time, but she wasn’t crying, not in the traditional sense. It was more of a release of everything she’d been holding onto, all the pain and anguish, over the years.

I tried to find Sheila. This wasn’t a time to hold a grudge, but she was nowhere to be found. The nurses, the staff at the house, absolutely everyone tried to find her. Calls were placed to all numbers we could think of, but no one could find her. She wasn’t anywhere.

I tried the phone she’d called from the day before, but it went straight to voicemail. I left voicemail in case she checked it. I’d done everything I could. Tab needed me.

I headed back into the room and took my seat next to her again. She was just coming to the end of her tale; she’d caught him up on everything in her life.

His breathing had become extremely labored and slow. It wasn’t going to be that much longer. And then after a bit Tabitha, My Tab, did the bravest thing I think anyone can ever do. She got up and kissed him on the forehead.

“Daddy, it’s time for you to be at peace. It’s okay for you to go. Go be with Mother, and be at peace.”

He died a few minutes later, like he’d been waiting for her blessing, for her forgiveness, for her release.

When it was apparent that he was no longer with us, she gave him one last kiss. She turned and looked at me and my heart broke for her.

“My Daddy’s gone. I’m all alone now.” That was when the tears turned to crying. Soul-wrenching, deep from the belly, entire body shaking crying. There was no shushing her, there was no ‘it’ll be okay’. If I knew her at all, I knew she hadn’t cried since she left home. She needed this, desperately.

I held her. It was all I could do for her right now, to let her know she wasn’t alone. It pained me to see her like this. I wanted to take all the hurt away, to make her happy again. And once I did, I’d do everything in my power never to see her like this again.

It was a while before she started to calm down. She finally started to breathe normally, or as normally as someone who’d just spent almost 20 minutes crying could. I’d been stroking her head and I continued. She’d clung to me to stay upright as she’d cried, and now she hugged me much closer. I don’t know exactly what was going on in her head, but I’d be damned if I let go of her now. While she’d stopped crying, her emotions were still high. Tabitha, the absolute strongest woman I knew, no strike that, the strongest person I knew, felt so fragile right now. I knew it wasn’t a feeling she was used to so I knew she was extra vulnerable right now.

It was another 15 minutes until she was ready for the nurses to come in. Once they confirmed that he was gone, her tears started anew. I held her to me and called the house. They needed to know Tad was gone and we needed Peter to come pick us up. Before we left the room, Tab said her final goodbye to her Daddy.

When we exited the hospital, Peter was already there. He gave Tab his condolences and we were underway.

She was so worn out when we got back that I had to carry her in. She insisted on going to his den. She wanted to feel close to him. We got a fire going and she was on the sofa, under a blanket, in no time. I sat with her and that was how we spent most of the night, until it was time to go to sleep. Katie kept the tea hot and brought in biscuits and finger food that went untouched.

I wanted to help Tab in any way that I could, but I was afraid that if I said something wrong she’d be back to that gut-wrenching crying that cut me to the quick. I couldn’t ever stand to see her in that much pain again. We sat there, mostly quiet, staring at the fire. A fresh wave of tears from her and I pulled her onto my lap. All I seemed to be good for was holding her, so that’s what I did for her. I felt her struggles and wanted nothing more than to take away her pain.

Sheila finally showed up several hours after we got back to the house and was busy giving out orders for their meal that evening, a heavy and rich meal that no one was in the mood for eating. I heard Katie ask, as they passed by the den, if it was wise, given the mood of the household. Sheila looked around and saw everyone staring at her. She yelled at the staff, mentioning that she needed to get ‘back’ to the hospital to be with her husband, to sit by his bedside. Katie pulled her away from the doorway as she told Sheila what she’d missed while absent.

A few moments later, Sheila walked back into the den.

“I want you, you ungrateful little bitch, to get out of my house.”

To say Tab tensed up would be an understatement. She was gearing up for a fight but I was not about to let her wage that battle. I got up and escorted Sheila from the room. I kept my voice down but ensured she heard me.

“We will not be going anywhere. It would be highly inappropriate.”

“This is my house now-”

“Sheila, you don’t know what’s in Tad’s will. Don’t assume this place is yours. You should be with family now. You certainly don’t want anyone asking where you were when Tad passed.” I’d had my suspicions confirmed by Peter earlier. “They might not understand. Would Tony be able to explain it better than you could?” There. She backed off and didn’t bother Tabitha again.

The next couple of days were a blur. Tad had done the practical thing and had arranged his own memorial, all the details, when he’d received his diagnosis.

The memorial service was attended by close to 1500, mostly business and political elite. Several prime ministers, a couple of presidents, and all of the Fortune 100 were represented. I’d heard of TJ Malone, I just never knew how powerful a man he was. A couple of people had been asked to say a few words, and Tabitha wasn’t in the program, but she’d decided on the drive over that she needed to say something.

She spoke of the type of father he’d been, how he’d been there for her when her mother had died. How he’d raised her to be compassionate, and how, in the last hours of his life, he’d told her that the regret he’d had was that he wasn’t home nearly enough. She had disagreed with him and told him he’d been home plenty, mentioning to him how she’d been able to evade detection when coming home after curfew. It got some laughs and lightened the mood a bit.

She had words of wisdom for those in attendance.

“Have dinner tonight, with your families, and put away the computers and phones and tablets. No television, no radio. Talk to each other. Listen to each other. Clear the air. Have the tough conversation you’ve been avoiding. Ask for forgiveness and apologize to each other. Tell your family how much they mean to you, and be sincere. You don’t know what tomorrow brings. Do it now, before you lose that chance.”

Luckily, Tabitha didn’t need to personally greet everyone who’d shown up, but there were a fair number who needed to pay their respects. Tad hadn’t wanted anyone in his family to have to deal with a reception, so he’d arranged it with the Cardinal to have the receiving line there. It was several hours before we were in the car heading back home. We’d been informed on the day of his passing that his will was going to be read today since everyone was present. Tabitha wasn’t sure why she was being told, since she’d been written out. We made our way back to her home. The staff and Sheila were assembled as well as her Uncle Dave and Aunt Tricia and their son, Tad. Their family solicitor read the will.

“I’ll be skipping over the formalities.” He cleared his throat and found his place. “This is the last will and testament of Thaddeus Jayne Malone.

“To my loyal and faithful staff, I am providing an annuity to each the equivalent of their annual salary at the time of my death. Their service has been impeccable and their loyalty and friendships invaluable. These annuities are to be paid until the time of their or their spouse’s death, whichever comes later. I want them taken care of. I want their families taken care of. They took care of my family and me over the years, it is now time for me to reciprocate.

“To Sheila Malone, my wife of 24 years, I have provided an annuity specifically for her that is to be administered by Miles and O’Shea. I have recently purchased and furnished a condominium for her use on Superior Street. If she remarries, she shall forfeit her right to the annuity and shall vacate the condominium.

“With the exception of the annuities for the staff and for Sheila and the monies given to the various charities and the ownership of MLC, all remaining items are to pass to my daughter, Tabitha Jayne Malone. This includes, but is not limited to, all money, stocks, bonds, annuities, the family estate jewelry, ownership of all properties, including the family home in Chicago, the apartments in London and Tokyo, and the new condominium in Chicago, and the vacation homes in Malibu, Davos, and Paris; As to MLC, my shares are to be split, sixty percent to my daughter and forty percent to my nephew, Thaddeus David Malone who has proven to be very capable and very loyal these past eight years. It is my hope and my deepest wish that they will work at Malone’s, taking their rightful place at the helm. With ownership comes responsibilities as members of the Board of Directors.”

The lawyer looked up. When the will had started to be read, Tabitha had looked over at me for support. After it was read, she furrowed her brow and grabbed for my hand before she spoke. I think she needed to feel something stable.

“Uncle Dave, I thought Daddy wrote me out of his will back when I left. What is this?”

“Honey, he only told you he was going to write you out. He didn’t actually do it. He could never do that to you, or to his company.”

“What the fuck is this? I don’t get anything? This is bullshit. I’m going to contest this will.” Sheila was obviously not happy with the turn of events.

Uncle Dave held an envelope out to Sheila.

“This is for you. It explains everything.”

Sheila opened the letter and read it. She got up from the chair and left the room. No one saw her again.

After a conversation with Uncle Dave, we made our way back to the guest suite. It had been a trying day and we needed to get comfortable.

I helped her with the zipper on her dress. I trailed my fingers down her back, wanting to feel her, make sure she felt me so she would know I was there.

“Michael, tell me something.”

“Anything.”

“You knew about the will, didn’t you.”

“Not the details, no. He alluded to something about you and never needing money, but that’s all I knew.”

“I really wish you would’ve told me. I felt blindsided in there.”

“He asked me to let it be a surprise. It wasn’t bad news, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Fuck!” Annoyed isn’t even close to how she came across. “Damn it, you’re right. I’m sorry. This has just been a really stressful day and you’re here and you’re being brilliant and supportive and wonderful and you’ve been nothing but wonderful and I’m taking out my frustrations on you and I’m sorry.” She whirled around and latched onto me. “Forgive me?”

“Tab, there’s nothing to forgive. I’m sorry today’s been stressful. How about we get changed and you can show me your new house.”

“I’ll be happy to show you the family home.”

We stayed a few more days and settled things. Granted, it would take a while for the estate to be truly settled, but the details made his intentions very clear.

Tabitha talked to Tad and convinced him to move into the family home. She didn’t want it to sit empty. While she was seriously thinking about and considering working at Malone’s, she knew if she did she’d not live in Chicago. She wasn’t sure where she’d live. I started putting the bug in her ear that she needed to consider visiting each home to see if that made an impact on her decision. I recommended she try the flat in London first.

The family, minus Sheila, gathered a few months later in California. Her parent’s wishes were that their ashes be combined and scattered in the Pacific Ocean. Her aunt and uncle and Tad and the staff all came out and celebrated the lives of Tad and Marty. We had them over to the house in Malibu and grilled out and we all relaxed and I came to know Tad through all the stories that were told that night, as well as the nights that followed when Tab would have an extra half glass of wine and get wistful and nostalgic. I was glad to get to know him through her eyes.

The next day, we chartered a boat to take us out to scatter their ashes and Tabitha, not surprisingly, had difficulty when it came time. She pulled out two leis and when the urns were emptied, she tossed them onto the water. She pulled me close and we held each other for a bit.

“Before, right after Daddy passed, when I said I was alone in this world now that my parents were gone? I was wrong. I know that’s not the case, not with you by my side.”

We watched the leis float away in the water as the boat made its way back to the mainland. Her past was moving in one direction, our future in the other.

_< > **fin** <>_

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting/Downloading:  
> Please do not repost or make these works available for downloading on any other site.


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